Grip holder for pistols



Nov. 10, 1964 R. E. CRAIN GRIP HOLDER FOR PISTOLS Filed Nov. 26, 1962 ROBERT E. CRAIN INVENTOR United States Patent 3,156,059 GRIP HOLDER FOR PISTOLS Robert E. Crain, 1524 NW. 29, Oklahoma City, Okla. Filed Nov. 26, 1962, Ser. No. 240,047 2 Claims. (Cl. 42--71) The present invention relates to fire arms and more particularly to a supporting handle member for pistols or revolvers.

Persons whose occupation requires them to carry fire arms, such as law enforcement officers or rangers, often find it desirable to have their fire arm, such as a pistol in full view and obviously in a position where it might be quickly drawn and discharged if needed. The use of a scabbard or holster often impedes the quick removal of the fire arm by being snapped in the holster by a flap or by the sight or other projections on the pistol hanging in the scabbard or holster. A similar objection occurs when the pistol is placed within a pocket of the user.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the instant invention to provide a grip-like holder or support for small fire arms which will engage the belt or an edge of the pocket of the user and maintain the fire arm in an easily and quickly removable position.

Another object is to provide a fire arm holder which is positioned on the fire arm adjacent its center of gravity so that the fire arm will be supported in a substantially balanced position.

Still another object is to provide a device of this class forming one or both handle portions of the grip portion of the fire arm wherein the mass of the device provides additional weight to the grip portion of the fire arm to achieve a more balanced feeling of the fire arm when held in discharging position thereby enhancing the ability of the user to aim more accurately.

Still another object is to provide a device of this class which may be connected to either side of the grip portion of a pistol for right or left handed users without any modification of the latter and which will in no way hamper the operation of the fire arm.

The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a plate-like member formed to fit the grip portion of a fire arm and having means at one end thereof extending forwardly of the grip portion of the fire arm in parallel spaced relation with respect to the barrel of the latter.

Other objects will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying single sheet of drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevational veiw of a fire arm having the device installed thereon;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device and fire arm of FIG. 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the device, per se;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of a pistol illustrating an alternate embodiment of the device installed thereon;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the alternate device and pistol of FIG. 4; and,

FIGURE 6 is a rear elevational View of the alternate device, per se.

Like characters of reference designate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which they occur.

In the drawings:

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 3, the reference numeral 10 indicates the device, as a whole, mounted on a conventional pistol 12. The pistol 12 includes over and under barrels 14 and a grip portion 16 normally provided with opposing removable handle members, not shown. The grip portion 16 is provided with a transverse irregular wall opening 17. The device 10 includes a plate member or body 18 having arcuate edges spaced inwardly with respect to the outer edge surfaces of the grip portion 16 and defining the outline of the conventional pistol handles which are removed before installing the device 10. The body 18 is extended forwardly of the grip portion 16 to form ari arm member 20 of a selected width and length. The arm 20 is turned outwardly of the adjacent side of the pistol rearwardly of the barrels 14, as at 22, to position the arm in parallel closely spaced relation with respect to the barrels 14. The free end of the arm terminates along the barrels 14 at a point substantially equal with respect to the position of the trigger 23 but is spaced upwardly therefrom so as to not interfere with the operation of the latter. The length of the arm and the spacing between it and the barrels 14 are such that a belt 21, or the like, worn by the user of the device may be freely received between the arm and barrels. A second plate or body member 24, having similar arcuate edges, is flatly received by and replaces the conventional handle on the pistol grip portion 16 opposite the plate 18. A pair of filler plates 26, having arcuate edges formed to be snugly received by the edges of the grip forming the opening 17 in the pistol grip, are secured to the inner surfaces of the plates; 18 and 24, respectively. Lugs 28, secured to one of the fillers 26, threadedly receive countersunk screws 30 extended through the plate 18. The combined mass of the fillers 26 and plates 18 and 24 is substantially greater than the mass of the conventional pistol handles not shown, and thus counterbalances the mass of the barrels 14 when the pistol is held by the user in firing position.

An alternate embodiment 10A of the device is illustrated in FIGS. 4, 5 and 6, mounted on another type of pistol 40. The device 10A is formed of plate-like material having a rounded or arcuate outer surface 42 formed complementary with respect to the conventional pistol grip handle, indicated at 44. The alternate device similarly includes an arm portion 20A which extends toward the forward end of the barrel 46 adjacent but spaced upwardly from the position of the trigger 48. The arm 20A is similarly spaced from the barrel portion 26 a selected distance for freely receiving a belt 21A or the upper edge portion of a pocket of the user.

Operation The operation of the devices 10 and 10A is identical. The clips 10 and 10A are connected to the fire arms 12 and 40 as described hereinabove. The barrel portion of the respective fire arm is slid inside the belt, waist band, or pocket, of the user so that the arm portion of the respective clip is positioned on the outside of the belt or pocket. The belt or pocket then supports the fire arm with the grip or handle portion thereof projecting upwardly and in position to be quickly grasped for removal.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to some change or alteration without defeating its practicability, and I therefore do not wish to be confined to the preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein, further than I am limited by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination with a fire arm, such as a pistol having a barrel, said pistol having a hand grip portion extending downwardly and rearwardly of a gun barrel and having a transverse irregular shaped opening and having detachable handle plates on opposite sides of the grip portion, a support including: a first body comprising a sheet metal plate positioned on one side of the grip portion of said pistol and having marginal edges formed substantially coextensive with the grip ortion to define the configuration of a conventional pistol hand grip portion; an arm integrally connected with the edge of said first body adjacent said gun barrel and turned arcuately outward from-the plane of said first body and extending, throughout its length, in parallel spaced relation with respect to the barrel toward the forward end of the latter; a second body comprising a sheet metal plate having marginal edges formed substantially coextensive with the grip portion to define the configuration of a conventional pistol grip portion positioned on the other side of said pistol grip portion; and means interconnecting said first and second bodies through the opening in the grip portion of said pistol for positioning said support.

2. Structure as specified in claim 1 in which said means includes a filler plate secured to the inner surface of each said body, said filler plates each having arcuate edges contiguously contacting the inner surface of said grip References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,279,372 9/ 18 Lempie 427l 1,531,796 3/25 Loomis 42-71 2,308,627 1/43 Rickenbacher 42-71 2,320,450 6/43 Valenzuela 42 l BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A FIRE ARM, SUCH AS A PISTOL HAVING A BARREL, SAID PISTOL HAVING A HAND GRIP PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND REARWARDLY OF A GUN BARREL AND HAVING A TRANSVERSE IRREGULAR SHAPED OPENING AND HAVING DETACHABLE HANDLE PLATES ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE GRIP PORTION, A SUPPORT INCLUDING: A FIRST BODY COMPRISING A SHEET METAL PLATE POSITIONED ON ONE SIDE OF THE GRIP PORTION OF SAID PISTOL AND HAVING MARGINAL EDGES FORMED SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE GRIP PORTION TO DEFINE THE CONFIGURATION OF A CONVENTIONAL PISTOL HAND GRIP PORTION; AN ARM INTEGRALLY CONNECTED WITH THE EDGE OF SAID FIRST BODY ADJACENT SAID GUN BARREL AND TURNED ARCUATELY OUTWARD FROM THE PLANE OF SAID FIRST BODY AND EXTENDING, THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH, IN PARALLEL SPACED RELATION WITH RESPECT TO THE BARREL TOWARD THE FORWARD END OF THE LATTER; A SECOND BODY COMPRISING A SHEET METAL PLATE HAVING MARGINAL EDGES FORMED SUBSTANTIALLY COEXTENSIVE WITH THE GRIP PORTION TO DEFINE THE CONFIGURATION OF A CONVENTIONAL PISTOL GRIP PORTION POSITIONED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF SAID PISTOL GRIP PORTION; AND MEANS INTERCONNECTING SAID FIRST AND SECOND BODIES THROUGH THE OPENING IN THE GRIP PORTION OF SAID PISTOL FOR POSITIONING SAID SUPPORT. 